POPULAR SPEEDhttp://www.popularspeed.com
Motorsports Coverage Driven by Social MediaMon, 13 Aug 2018 20:55:23 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.7OBSERVATIONS: Consumers Energy 400http://www.popularspeed.com/observations-consumers-energy-400/
Mon, 13 Aug 2018 03:12:24 +0000http://www.popularspeed.com/?p=58659While there shouldn’t be any questions about the speed of Kevin Harvick, the remaining doubts were certainly erased on Sunday when he dominated the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

A lot has been made about the big three – Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, and Harvick – and which of those will go into the playoffs with the most momentum. With the final 10 races consisting of a majority of intermediates, including the host of the season-finale, this was a message sent to the field that you better up your game if you’re going to walk away with the championship trophy this season. That’s showcased by the Stewart-Haas Racing team now boasting the most playoff points with 40, compared to Busch’s 35.

That said, Busch ran up front as well on Sunday as he was third in the final rundown with a brand new chassis from Joe Gibbs Racing. Clearly, they haven’t pushed it far enough based on what we saw though.

In-between the pair was a familiar foe of them both in the form of Brad Keselowski, who turns the ship around with a runner-up after three finishes outside of the top-15.

The biggest surprise here is the fact that Team Penske has only won a single race this year, coming at Talladega Superspeedway with Joey Logano. But that’ll happen when three competitors from other organizations are dominating, I suppose. After all, Hendrick Motorsports got their first win of the year last weekend. Team Penske may be next to break through as Ryan Blaney joined Keselowski in the top-five with a fifth.

Austin Dillon has a win this year, as he opened the year in victory lane with the Daytona 500. Since then, we haven’t heard much from the Richard Childress Racing driver. However, he showed speed with a fourth so the next few weeks could be interesting to see where the momentum goes.

While there are plenty of talking points when it comes to the playoffs, the actual race itself was just average. You had some side-by-side battles for position, but mostly the field was spread out throughout the day and strategy at the end only adding a touch of spice. Also, at times when you’d have battles in the pack, NBC just focused on the top-five single-file so that made nap time more attractive.

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of PopularSpeed.com, its owners, management or other contributors. Any links contained in this article should not be considered an endorsement.

But on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, Kevin Harvick restored the status quo, winning for the seventh time this season and breaking a tie with third-place finisher Kyle Busch for most victories in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Harvick led 108 of the 200 laps in the Consumers Energy 400 and cruised to a 3.233-second win over runner-up Brad Keselowski, who took over second place when Austin Dillon slowed with a cut tire on the next-to-last lap. Dillon nevertheless held fourth place at the finish, one spot ahead of Ryan Blaney.

The victory was Harvick’s second at the 2.0-mile track-the first having come in 2010-and the 44th of his career, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott for 17th on a all-time win list. Harvick swept the first and second stages of the race and leap-frogged past Busch into the lead in Playoff points. Harvick now has 40 to Busch’s 35.

“The most important thing is winning races right now and getting all the points that you can get to position yourself well to get to Homestead,” Harvick said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do all year is win races.

“That was our only goal. We didn’t want to learn anything. We don’t want to do anything different. We just want to go out, and we want to win.”

Keselowski, who drove from his 18th-place starting position to the runner-up spot, was grateful to have a clean race.

“It’s nice to be able to get the finish we deserved,” Keselowski said. “That’s important. It’s important to get what you have out of your car. Although we might not have race-winning speed, it’s important to execute.

“So with that in mind, it’s good for everybody’s morale at Team Penske, and on the No. 2 team as well, but of course we want to break through and win as well. As I indicated, we not where we need to be to just win on speed against those guys week-in and week-out, so we’ve just got to find it. We’ve got to find that little bit of performance. It’s not a lot, but it’s just enough to keep us out of Victory Lane.”

After the race, Harvick’s 6-year-old son Keelan ran across the track to collect the checkered flag.

“Keelan is saving me some work,” Harvick quipped. “Usually, when I get home, the next day we have to mock up a Victory Lane celebration. For him to be here and able to do that and be a part of NASCAR and bring your son to work and do all the things that we get to do with our kids, I have had him with me by myself the last three weeks and we have had a ball.

“I couldn’t be happier to be a dad and be a part of NASCAR where they let your family come to the race track and be a part of it.”

In the regular-season series standings, Kyle Busch maintained a 62-point lead over Harvick… Dillon scored his first top five since winning the season-opening Daytona 500.

]]>Lack of Speed and Communication Holding Truex back from Contentionhttp://www.popularspeed.com/lack-of-speed-and-communication-holding-truex-back-from-contention/
Sun, 12 Aug 2018 07:06:40 +0000http://www.popularspeed.com/?p=58595As the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series guys go back to the ovals, the NASCAR XFINITY Series ran their second straight road course of the season. The push to make the playoffs is starting to heat up as some teams hope to become a factor in the next upcoming weeks.

After his best career season in one of NASCAR’s top three national series, Ryan Truex snagged an opportunity with Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Seriesreplacing Blake Koch. Kaulig Racing failed to score a win during two seasons with Koch and was looking for a positive change.

After parting ways with Hattori Racing Enterprises, things fell into place for Truex. It was a bit of a surprise to fans that after a strong year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Truex would lose his ride. In fact, it led to Truex joining a new team up in the XFINITY Series.

Yes, we can say he climbed the latter after a full-time season in the Trucks Series; but let’s face it, after 20 races so far, Truex hasn’t had as much success as he had in 2017. They began the season strong, capturing two top-10s in the first couple of events but nine top-10’s with a single top-five finish have rounded out their year so far. Their team is not racing to the level of some of their top tier competitors but are looking to catch up quickly before the playoffs.

“Just trying to find speed; we’re not running where we need to right now to make it to Homestead,” Truex told POPULAR SPEED.

Truex sits comfortably in the eighth position in the playoff standings despite only two top-10’s in the last six races.

As Truex and Kaulig Racing look towards the future, their lack of speed may be revived with better communication. That’s right, a key to having success in a race car is astrong rapport with your team, and that may very well be holding Truex back.

“Yeah, I mean can give better feedback and work on my end of things and that’ll help too,” Truex said.

With five races left before the playoffs, if Truex and his team are able tosolve these two issues, their season may easily progress into a threat for race wins and possibly a championship.

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of PopularSpeed.com, its owners, management or other contributors. Any links contained in this article should not be considered an endorsement.

]]>Justin Allgaier Chases Down Austin Cindric for Mid-Ohio Winhttp://www.popularspeed.com/justin-allgaier-chases-down-austin-cindric-for-mid-ohio-win/
Sun, 12 Aug 2018 06:59:28 +0000http://www.popularspeed.com/?p=58643LEXINGTON, OHIO – Justin Allgaier pulled off the NASCAR version of a “spin and win” to take the Xfinity Series victory in Saturday’s Rock N Roll Tequila 170 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The JR Motorsports driver of the No. 7 Brandt Chevrolet rallied from late-race contact and a spin to pass Austin Cindric with eight laps remaining, claiming his third win of the season and first at the famed 2.4-mile road course.

Cindric’s No. 22 Penske Racing Ford won the pole position and led a dominant 59 of the race’s 75 laps but his track position gamble out front on old tires couldn’t hold off a hard-charging Allgaier, who pitted for new rubber in the race’s final caution period with nine laps remaining.

Cindric held on for second place. Richard Childress Racing driver Daniel Hemric finished third, followed by teammate and Ohio native Matt Tifft. Ryan Truex rounded out the top-five. Allgaier beomes the sixth different winner in as many Xfinity races at Mid-Ohio.

The race was typically “road course aggressive” with lots of bumping and banging throughout the field, particularly in the waning laps. And the final pass for the lead was the result of dramatic back-and-forth, give-and-take between Cindric and Allgaier, who exchanged the front position three times on a single lap before Allgaier pulled away for the checkered flag by 2.095-seconds.

“I thought we gave it away when I went off (course),” Allgaier said of his mid-race collision with Ford’s Cole Custer. “But that pit call (for tires) at the end is what did it. …We’ve been good this year, but to do it (win) at a road course is even better.”

And, he added with a smile, “it was a real barn-burner at the end.”

For his part, Cindric was understandably disappointed to come home runner-up because he had clearly been the class of the field all weekend. The 19-year old Indiana-native came just two-seconds away from claiming his first Xfinity Series win, but did lead the most laps and earned a stage win as well.

“It was a big points day for me. .. but too bad we couldn’t capitalize with a dominant car,” Cindric said.

Four-time race winner and series points leader Christopher Bell ran as high as second place at one point, but heavy contact between him and veteran Elliott Sadler in the closing laps spun Bell’s No. 20 Toyota around and caused a final lap catch-up session. He ended up 11th and still holds a 17-point advantage over Hemric and Elliott in the standings with four races left to set the Playoff field.
Former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, Andy Lally led seven laps and finished 15th – leading the road racing contingent to a good showing on the afternoon.

IMSA standout and former IndyCar driver Katherine Legge finished 30th, having to retire her car 10 laps from the end with engine problems. She is scheduled to compete with the Xfinity Series again at Road America in two weeks – as is NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, who is coming out of retirement for that race.

The Xfinity Series races the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

]]>Brett Moffitt Nips Johnny Sauter at The Line for NASCAR Truck Win at Michiganhttp://www.popularspeed.com/brett-moffitt-nips-johnny-sauter-at-the-line-for-nascar-truck-win-at-michigan/
Sun, 12 Aug 2018 06:43:50 +0000http://www.popularspeed.com/?p=58632With a huge run through the final two corners, Brett Moffitt surged past Johnny Sauter right before the finish line at Michigan International Speedway to win Saturday’s Corrigan Oil 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race by .025 seconds.

Trailing Sauter at the white flag, Moffitt backed off in Turn 1 to create a gap between his No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota and the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet of Sauter. Moffitt charged into Turn 3, pulled even to the inside of Sauter’s truck as they rolled the corner and won a drag race to the finish line.

Moffitt picked up his second victory at Michigan, his fourth of the season-tying Sauter for the series lead-and the fifth of his career.

“Pretty amazing this little team’s gone to Victory Lane four times this year,” Moffitt said. “The whole last however many laps I was behind (Sauter), I would get to him, but I would push him with that air bubble between our bumpers.

“So I tried to back up (Turn) 1, let him get out there a little bit, and I knew the 8 (Polesitter and third-place finisher John Hunter Nemechek was behind us-I was hoping he would actually get to us and be able to push us. But we were able to play it right and time it right, and, man, it’s just great to get here.”

Sauter had taken the lead on Lap 88 of 100 when he surged past both Moffitt and eventual fifth-place finisher Todd Gilliland. The disappointing finish left Sauter second-guessing himself.

“They said ‘Clear by three (car-lengths)’ coming off (Turn) 2, and I kept watching the mirror,” Sauter said. “I just felt like, if I ran the middle, I’d keep momentum up. I felt like when I went to the bottom, I was bogging a little bit.

“But I screwed up. No ‘ifs,’ ‘ands’ or ‘buts’ about it. I should have run the bottom, but I do feel like maybe he would have squirted to the top. Sitting duck, kind of-for sure. You know he’s planning a run, but you just don’t know when… Pretty ticked at myself for giving away a win.”

Sauter wasn’t the only one. Stewart Friesen led 12 laps in a strong No. 52 Chevrolet, but his fueler drew a penalty for pushing the truck after handling the fuel can during the final pit stop under caution on Lap 80, sending Friesen to the rear for a Lap 84 restart.

Friesen fought his way back to eighth at the finish.

Noah Gragson ran fourth, followed by Gilliland. Ben Rhodes, Grant Enfinger, Friesen, Justin Haley and Matt Crafton completed the top 10. Sauter retained the series lead by 56 points over Gragson.

Moffitt’s victory ensures that at least two drivers will qualify for the NCTWS Playoffs on points-good news for Enfinger and Friesen, who are third and fourth in the standings, respectively. Crafton, who is sixth, will clinch a Playoff berth if no one outside the top eight in the standings wins next Thursday at Bristol.

Given his 53-point edge over Crafton, Enfinger can clinch a Playoff spot simply by starting the race at Bristol.

]]>Noah Gragson Keeping Focused on 2018, Not The Futurehttp://www.popularspeed.com/noah-gragson-keeping-focused-on-2018-not-the-future/
Sat, 11 Aug 2018 07:47:33 +0000http://www.popularspeed.com/?p=58617As talent continues to develop within the Joe Gibbs Racing ranks, discussions have been rapid about where Christopher Bell will be racing next season.

Though when it comes to another driver in the development system, Noah Gragson, the future isn’t on his mind right now.

“I really don’t know where we are along with that right now,” he said. “My priority right now is to focus on the Playoffs and doing the best job I can do from here until Homestead and just try to focus on the moment. I can focus on what’s going to happen next year or years down the road, but it’s not going to do me any good. I need to perform right now and win races and do the best job I can do.

“I’m very fortunate to have a good group around me with Kyle Busch Motorsports and Toyota Racing to do that, I have a lot of great people. Just trying to focus right now on the moment and then hopefully I can win some races and the rest will take care of itself.”

Gragson ran three NASCAR XFINITY Series races this year, placing inside the top-seven in each of those, highlighted by a runner=up at Richmond Raceway.

But right now, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship is priority as he enters Michigan International Speedway second in the standings with a win, five top-fives, and 10 top-10’s in 13 races.

While showing speed and leading 450 laps this season, late-race issues such as an extra pit stop for a wheel-spacer at Kentucky Speedway, to the handling getting away from them at Chicagoland Speedway, have cost them victories. However, that hasn’t hurt the confidence as Gragson has total faith in his team as we near the beginning of the playoffs.

“Once we get into the Playoffs, that’s where it really starts and we have to start capitalizing on opportunities to get to Homestead and then it’s kind of gloves off when we get there,” he said.

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of PopularSpeed.com, its owners, management or other contributors. Any links contained in this article should not be considered an endorsement.

This time, he left no doubt as to who had the fastest car. Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was fastest in opening practice-and fastest in all three rounds of knockout qualifying at Michigan International Speedway.

For the second straight week, Hamlin and JGR teammate Kyle Busch (202.731 mph) will start 1-2. Hamlin edged Busch by .011 seconds to earn his second Busch Pole Award of the season, his first at Michigan and the 28th of his career.

A victory from the pole would continue Hamlin’s streak of at least one victory per year, starting with his 2006 rookie season.

“It is a very important streak,” Hamlin asserted. “I think about it… I thought it was all over in 2013, the year that I broke my back (in a wreck at Auto Club Speedway), and we won in the final race of the season to keep the streak alive.

“You look back at the really great drivers of NASCAR, and they had long streaks, 10 years and above, of winning in a row, and you want to keep that going for sure. It’s important.”

Busch was on pace for the pole before losing time through Turns 3 and 4 in the money round.

“I thought 3 and 4 went OK,” Busch said. “Certainly, I don’t think it was my best time through there. The first couple of runs, we’d been fighting ‘loose,’ so you kind of drive a little differently to be ready for the loose situation, and then on the final run, we were tight.

“You guard your entry or guard your center or whatever you do for the loose, and that doesn’t happen, and you’re tight, and then you’re too tight because you guarded for the loose. Just ever so slightly just missed it, I guess. Overall, I didn’t think we were going to qualify there, so we’re certainly pleased with that.

“Denny’s been fast so far from unload, so good for them to capitalize on that.”

Kevin Harvick, like Busch a six-time winner this season, qualified third at 202.100 mph. Erik Jones was fourth at 201.805 mph, putting three Gibbs Toyotas in the top four on the grid.

The No. 19 Toyota of Daniel Suarez, who had posted the third fastest lap in opening practice, twitched out of control in Turn 2 in the opening round and tapped the outside wall. Suarez posted no time for the session and will start from the back of the field.

“I just got loose,” said Suarez, who had asked for adjustment after his car felt slightly tight in practice. “We just crossed the line. Once we got in the gray (out of the preferred groove), it was like being on ice.”

Suarez was optimistic his team could fix the cosmetic damage and get it ready for Saturday’s two practice sessions and Sunday’s race.

“I think we’ll see the 19 passing a lot of cars on Sunday,” Suarez said.

“Mustang has raced since it was first sold in 1964,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s executive vice president, Product Development and Purchasing, who was on hand to help unveil the car. “After more than a half-century, it feels great to finally let Mustang run in the top echelon of America’s most popular stock car racing series.”

Even before Mustang became a global icon, its first competition was in 1964, when it surprisingly won the Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 4,000 mile, 10-day rally. Soon after, it began a racing legacy in SCCA Trans-Am, IMSA, NHRA, Formula Drift and NASCAR Xfinity – NASCAR’s second tier series.

“Ever since we announced in April that Mustang would be going to the Cup level in 2019, we’ve heard nothing but positive feedback,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Our Ford Performance team has worked hard with the Ford Design team to create a Mustang that will be competitive on the track while remaining true to its proud heritage. We can’t wait to see it winning races in the NASCAR Cup Series next year.”

Ford Design and Ford Performance worked carefully to translate Mustang’s signature style to meet NASCAR rules, ensuring Mustang will look as great on the oval as it does on the street.

All 13 Ford drivers currently competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series were on hand for the unveiling for employees at the company’s World Headquarters, along with team owners and NASCAR executives.

“We look forward to seeing the Ford Mustang, a cultural icon, on the track in the most competitive series in all of motorsports,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “Our sport eagerly anticipates the performance, style and fanfare the Mustang will bring to the track each weekend beginning at the 2019 Daytona 500.”

Mustang has been competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2011 and has won a championship in all but one season. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won back-to-back driver’s championships in 2011 and 2012, while Roger Penske has claimed the owner’s title in four of the last five years.

Today’s reveal comes on the heels of a celebration of the 10 millionth Mustang off the assembly line in Flat Rock, Mich., on Wednesday.

The first race for the new NASCAR Mustang will be the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, 2019.

]]>Don’t Forget About Preece in the Gibbs Driver Shufflehttp://www.popularspeed.com/dont-forget-about-preece-in-the-gibbs-driver-shuffle/
Wed, 08 Aug 2018 05:00:23 +0000http://www.popularspeed.com/?p=58556Recently, there has been a growing intrigue surrounding what the future holds for XFINITY Series driver Christopher Bell.

What is Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota going to do with him in 2019? While they’ve made it clear they don’t want to lose the rising star, there has still been no formal announcement regarding his future. Will Furniture Row Racing, who is currently searching for sponsorship, restart a second team? Will an organization like Leavine Family Racing be lured to switch brands to ensure a ride for Bell in exchange for assistance from JGR? Or, will they keep him in XFINITY for another year, risking frustrating a driver who could make himself one of the hottest free agents around?

Meanwhile, there is another young Toyota driver that has also been impressive and like Bell, but no plans announced for next season yet. That would be Ryan Preece, who has made quite the name for himself with the limited amount of opportunities he has received.

In eight starts he has: qualified in the top-10 all but once, finished in the top-five six times, led in three races, scored the pole at Daytona International Speedway, and won at Bristol Motor Speedway. In addition to all of the stats above, his success has come with a schedule that hasn’t featured the same type of track twice.

Yet his future still remains uncertain, all while there have been multiple statements regarding the future of Bell, creating an interesting situation.

This concern surrounding Bell is warranted as they are hoping not to lose another talented driver from their fleet. Kyle Larson originally was a Toyota Racing Development driver before leaving and eventually becoming the success story that he has been with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Chevrolet organization. There was also William Byron who drove for Kyle Busch Motorsports, but is now with Hendrick Motorsports.

Despite trying to set themselves on the right foot, though, JGR may end up with one regardless if Preece is offered a full-time deal somewhere else.

The potential for another team/manufacture to get their hands on a proven young driver if they can provide funding and a full-time ride is there, especially when you look around and see that both Chevy and Ford do not have the youth depth that is showcased with Toyota. All of sudden, a young free agent could be huge for the future of an organization and/or a manufacturer, especially as it appears Bell will remain with the Gibbs/Toyota family in some capacity.

The biggest thing is sponsorship which is a tall mountain to climb though, Preece’s strong performances would provide a strong pitch.

Regardless, with all the uncertainty of silly season, the 27-year-old has made certain that he deserves a deal.

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of PopularSpeed.com, its owners, management or other contributors. Any links contained in this article should not be considered an endorsement.

]]>Erik Jones Showing Strength As Playoffs Get Closerhttp://www.popularspeed.com/erik-jones-showing-strength-as-playoffs-get-closer/
Tue, 07 Aug 2018 05:00:08 +0000http://www.popularspeed.com/?p=58558We have seen the dominance of Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr, but is there another Toyota driver that can contend for a championship?

In the last seven races, Erik Jones has proven his worth at Joe Gibbs Racing. He has scored six top-10’s which included a fifth this past weekend at Watkins Glen International, and his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway.

His average finish in the last six races has been the second-best in the series, only behind Truex. Also in that time span, he has been the third-best regarding starting position.

Yes, the No. 20 has gotten hot during this summer stretch and may be looking at more positives to come. The next three races, Michigan International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Darlington Raceway, proved to be some of Jones best last season. He finished in the top-five in each of the races, and do not forget contended for the win at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” and leading 250-laps before placing second.

If Jones can repeat the success he had at these places, maybe capture another win and add in a solid run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he will head into his first playoffs with a lot of momentum.

Could he even be a championship contender?

Why not?

While he may not have as many wins as Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex, the Michigan-native has shown that he can hang with the best of the sport on a weekly basis, something not a lot of his competition can say right now.

It is also worth remembering that four drivers get a chance at the title. Meaning, even if the “big three” dominate and win all of the races, there will still be another driver in the fight, and if his consistency keeps up, it could easily be Jones.

Now, the argument could be made that his lack of playoff experience could be his downfall, especially considering the number of veterans who will be in the field of 16.

Fair, however, this is someone driving for one of the best teams in the sport who has the stats that legitimize him as a threat. It would be foolish to think that Jones couldn’t be a sleeper to find a way to succeed.

It is also worth noting that he has shown strength in these types of scenarios before. In his first full season in the Camping World Truck Series, he won the championship. His only experience in the XFINITY Series playoffs earned him a trip to the final four.

Jones has proven himself before, he’s showing his strength now, and while the playoffs are still a ways off, this is a driver that will need to be taken seriously come September.

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of PopularSpeed.com, its owners, management or other contributors. Any links contained in this article should not be considered an endorsement.